In last month’s Afri-love Connection Club lunches, we had a serious conversation about a serious issue facing entrepreneurs…burnout.

It kind of came as no surprise to me that in 2 rooms full of women, every single one of us has had some experience of burnout.

In retrospect, it makes sense. We are all so passionate and ambitious that it’s inevitable we may reach a point where we’re overwhelmed by all the things we have to do and all the things we want to do.

Self care often falls to the bottom of our to do lists. It becomes so easy for us to focus on all of those things and completely neglect the one person who holds it all together.

Over the past two weeks, I have met at least 70 entrepreneurs through Ashoka Africa, the All African Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, and most recently at our launch of the Afri-love Connection Club in Mombasa.

One thing that has really stuck out for me in these experiences is that entrepreneurs worldwide really struggle to get their stories out to the world.

And it bothers me.

If you and your business remain the best kept secret, you’ll never get customers.

Finding your first clients when starting your business can feel like a daunting task. Those first clients represent a lot. They validate your idea. They give you a glimmer of hope that maybe it’s all going to work out after all. That you aren’t crazy for starting this business.

No wonder you feel so much pressure to find them!

Let’s start with one assumption – the clients that you’re looking for DO exist. You have already done your market research and know there is a group of people out there with the challenge you’re looking to solve. (If you haven’t done that yet, check this out.)

These clients just need to know that you’re there and ready to help them.

So how exactly do you find them??

If you’re searching for the first clients for your startup, you’ll want to try these three strategies.Continue Reading